by C. Fonseca
“Remember, she is only four. You’ll have to learn along the way,” Usha said. “Just like everyone else. There are lots of books on the subject—I, for one, wouldn’t bother.”
Jess turned sharply to Usha. “Oh, really?”
“The experts can put things on paper, but real life is very different. Children can be incredibly astute. Fun. Full of surprises. Exhausting.” Usha tore a small piece of leftover dough and dropped it into the oil. “It’s ready.” She added a puri and pressed it down into the oil with a slotted spoon. “Most importantly, they need honesty and unconditional love. I can see how you are with the child. You are very fond of her, and she of you.”
Jess hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. “Aruishi means a great deal to me. She’s given me hope. I feel a strong desire to be there for my niece.” She stirred the potato mixture in the wok, put the spoon down, and turned to Usha. “I’d like to continue to be part of her life, but London is far away. She may forget me.”
Usha lifted the golden puri onto a paper towel and dropped the next one into the bubbling oil.
“I’m sure she won’t. Have you spoken to Lili of how you feel about Ru? She must know—otherwise she wouldn’t trust you with her daughter for an entire day.”
Jess shook her head and sighed. “That’s true, but she is so sure of herself, an earth mother with a life plan for herself and her child. I don’t know if she’ll want me to continue to be part of their lives from afar. And I think she believes what they print in the gossip columns and imagines me living a fast-paced, shallow lifestyle.”
“You mean none of it is true?” Usha shook her head from side to side with a slight roll of her eyes.
“My sponsors expect me to be seen in public. And I am often photographed with people of note,” she said. “You know what I mean.”
“Ooh la la.” She raised her eyebrows. “Yes, you mean actresses, models, and such. The occasional royal? That can’t be so bad.”
Jess groaned. “The problem is the papers add their own spin. They infer that I’m a home breaker and just a party girl.”
“No. Lili may have thought that before she got to know you. Not now. She comes across as perceptive. She will see the real you.” Usha turned off the stove and covered the food with a tea towel.
“Maybe,” Jess said. “I still don’t know where I stand with Lili. Things have been better lately, but we didn’t get off to a good start. I haven’t lived in such close quarters with a woman since boarding school.”
“Ah, and you want to make a good impression because of Aruishi. Yes?” She shot Jess a sideways glance.
Jess swallowed. “Yes. Yes, of course.” Lili’s proximity the other night during the massage had ignited churning butterflies in her stomach—just like before a big race. But she wasn’t going to admit that to Usha. At the café in Portarlington, Lili had managed to get Jess to open up a little about her past. Trusting another person to that extent was rare for Jess.
“Time to eat,” Usha said. “Let us check on Aruishi. She can help you set the table, and I will serve up the food.”
Usha’s puffed fried puri bread with potato bhaji surpassed even the best available at the Borough Market in Southwark.
Aruishi was adventurous with her food and tried everything. Usha sent her home with a Tupperware container filled with vegetable puffs and a jar of coconut-mint chutney for her mother. It was a day Jess would treasure.
That afternoon, when Lili entered the restaurant kitchen, Alex and Tim had already checked off and put away the deliveries, prepared the vegetable stock—that would later be strained to form the base of the chilled spring pea soup—and explored Ailie’s garden for the day’s fresh pickings. Tim was in the prep kitchen, assembling tonight’s addition to the tasting menu: a ballotine of free-range duck filled with sourdough crumbs, caramelised orange, anchovy, and leeks. The boned, rolled, stuffed, and trussed duck would be roasted to perfection; the skin crispy just caramelised, the meat tender, still pink. It would be served simply, with golden pan juices and ginger-carrot puree, and garnished with a sprig of fresh thyme. That was the plan.
With their sleeves rolled up, Alex and Lili worked together at the marble-topped bench. The pale-gold dough had rested for thirty minutes, and Alex used a bench knife to divide it into four equal portions. Lili lightly floured the surface of the counter and kneaded the dough with her bare hands.
“This happened when? At half past midnight?” Alex put the knife down and stared at Lili, her hazel eyes wide. “You were in your pyjamas, and she massaged your back?”
Lili turned her head from Alex back to the dough. “Don’t look at me like that. Jess was very professional the whole time.”
“Ah-ha. Sure. She had those very professional strong hands and long fingers on your body.” Alex snickered. “Was that before or after you demonstrated the pleasure of single malt whiskey?”
“Why was I stupid enough to tell you about it?” She picked up the wooden rolling pin and evened out the dough to less than the thickness of a credit card.
“You were flirting with her,” Alex said, passing over the next piece of dough. “You’re not going to deny that, are you?”
Lili grinned, kept her hips still, and moved her upper body from side to side. She winked at Alex and laughed out loud. “She fixed my back.”
“She did more than fix your back, my friend,” Alex said. “It’s been a long time since you’ve laughed like that.” Alex punched her lightly on the arm. “Oh my God, you like her.”
Lili shrugged.
“Ah, I had my suspicions. I mean—you like her. You find her attractive. Desirable.”
Lili put the rolling pin down. “Come on, Alex. Get the filling from the under-bench fridge before the dough becomes sticky, and the ravioli cutter while you’re at it. And could you scatter a little more flour on the bench.”
“Yes, Chef.” Alex poked out her tongue.
“Of course I’m attracted to her. Jess is gorgeous.” A puff of flour erupted in a cloud around the bench as Lili blew out a breath. “I’m only human.”
“Okay, I got a bit carried away. Sorry about that,” Alex said. “So, what are you going to do about it?” Alex placed a teaspoon of goat’s cheese mixture on the thin dough sheets two centimetres apart and then brushed the dough around the filling with egg wash.
Lili placed a sheet of pasta on top and pressed down around the filling, making sure there were no air pockets. “What do you mean?”
“With your attraction to Jess? What do you want to do?” Alex prodded her shoulder with her finger and picked up the crimp pastry wheel to cut the ravioli. She transferred the plump squares onto trays lined with baking sheets and sprinkled them with semolina flour.
Lili washed her hands at the sink, dried them on a tea towel, and placed them on her hips. “You’ve seen the media reports about Jessica Harris. She has her choice and takes it—often. Beautiful actress on her arm one week. Spotted having an intimate dinner with some hot athlete another week. Or a model or a scientist or an heiress.” Lili raised her hands in the air. “You get the picture?”
“You can’t believe what you read in those English tabloids,” Alex said. “Anyway, why not?” She grabbed the cling film from the drawer, covered the trays lightly, and placed them in the refrigerator. She popped her head up. “She’s certainly caught Haley’s attention.”
Lili’s hands fell down limp to her sides. “Do you think they’ve slept together?”
“Well it’s possible. Haley talks about her every chance she gets. I heard Jess has agreed to take part in that fundraiser Simon and Haley are helping organise through CycleMania. It’s to raise money for the young Drysdale girl, the one who was knocked off her bike on her way to school.”
“Oh, right. What a horrible accident. I read about Usha Joshi’s charity event in the Surf Coast Times. I didn’t know Jess was taking p
art.”
“Now she is. I think it’s fantastic she’s involving herself with the local community, don’t you?” Alex paused. “I bet Haley’s planning to make the most of Jess’s time here in Australia,” she said with a hint of amusement in her voice.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lili asked abruptly.
“I’m just saying. Jess is single. She’s young. She’s sexy. Some people might want to make the most of that.” She shrugged in an exaggerated fashion. “Anyway, you’ve probably got the advantage.”
“What does that mean?” The conversation had moved beyond embarrassing to seriously annoying.
“Hey, I’ve seen Jess around you. I think she’d be willing if you were. It would be a great way to break the drought. Why not have a little fun?”
She looked askance at Alex. “Alex, you’re talking garbage. It’s not going to happen,” she said gravely. “It shouldn’t happen.”
Alex slapped at her forehead with her hand as if having a sudden epiphany, sending flour dust all over her hair and face. She coughed. “Oh fuck. Jess is Aruishi’s aunt, and she’s not staying here. That would be awkward later, wouldn’t it? Sorry, Lili. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Hey, are you two ready for a break?” Tim called from the prep kitchen. “I could use a cuppa tea.”
“We’ll be with you in five minutes, Tim.” Lili answered. “Put the jug on.”
“Righto. Consider it done.”
Lili swept the floor while Alex cleaned the bench. Her friend had finally shut up about Jess, and Lili busied herself getting into the nooks and crannies while she calmed herself down.
Alex was right about one thing: Lili supposed she did suffer from relationship anxiety since Dani had left her pregnant and alone. Maybe a fling would help her self-esteem—especially if she remained in control and set the boundaries. She’d have to let it go when Jess inevitably left, but still, she could enjoy herself for a while.
Alex was right about a lot of things, actually. Jess was single, young, and beautiful. She played the field, and would soon be jetting back to London. Not to mention, lots of people besides Lili found her alarmingly sexy. She’d certainly managed to turn heads yesterday at the bakery, wearing her silky abstract-print jersey and suspender-bib shorts.
But when Jess had removed her racy-looking, wraparound, mirror-coated sunglasses, she’d looked directly at Lili, and her brown eyes twinkled in a way Lili had never seen them do before.
Could Lili risk a fling, then return to her routine like nothing had happened?
No way, not with Jess. The thing to do was to remain level-headed and consider the consequences. She had to protect her daughter. It would be heart-wrenching enough for Aruishi when Jess returned to London. They’d already formed a strong bond. If she got involved with Jess, had a fling, it wouldn’t be possible to brush aside and forget. Jess would always be in their lives. Lili would also have to answer to her parents, if they found out.
She shoved the broom back into the utility cupboard and looked around for Alex. She must have left quietly, sensing Lili needed her space.
Did someone say they’d put the jug on? Lili hoped so. She longed for a cup of tea and a little something to eat. She had a hankering for vegemite on toast.
Chapter 16
“Mama, look. Here comes Auntie Jess…with Simon and Haley. Look!” Aruishi yelled as she stood on the fence rail, with Lili close behind, and pointed to the last three riders crossing the line. As event organisers, Haley and Simon would have held back to ensure all the riders reached the finish safely. Jess must have decided to ride along beside them, because there was no doubt in Lili’s mind that Jess could have completed the ride in a fraction of the time. Jess had mentioned that her role at the event was to encourage and support the less-skilled riders in the group. This was not a race, but a sponsored charity ride to raise money for the Russo family. Every dollar raised would go to paying for the medical bills and ongoing care for Cara, their nine-year-old daughter who’d suffered a serious spinal cord injury after a hit-and-run outside her school gate.
Lili and Aruishi, with Helen, Scott, and Usha Joshi, stood together under a banner that sported a brilliant image of Cara Russo and her Jack Russell puppy, Romeo. Local businesses, restaurants, wineries, and individuals had sponsored two hundred riders to complete the thirty-five-kilometre circuit. The idea for the fundraiser had come from Usha, who was Cara’s doctor, and she’d rallied the Emmetts to help organise the event. There was no loser today. In fact, in Lili’s eyes, everyone was a winner.
“Wonderful.” Usha turned to the others. “What an amazing crowd. We couldn’t have hoped for a better turnout.” She smiled and clapped her hands. Her Indian-styled tunic swung in sync with her arms, and her long plait of dark hair tossed itself from side to side. Usha was a small woman with a slight frame. Nevertheless, she had a confident, powerful presence.
Lili lifted Aruishi from the fence rail and hiked her onto her hip. “Usha, I’m so glad we could help today.”
“Oh, Lili. I am very grateful to you and your parents for your donation of produce.” Usha turned to Scott. “Thank you for helping us set up the trestles and marquee this morning.”
“No problem. I was happy to be of use.” Scott’s face coloured. “I didn’t do much. It was Lili that sweet-talked her suppliers into donating the fruit, juice, and bottles of spring water.”
“Well, thank you again, Lili,” she said.
“It looks like the Community Association volunteers have the food ready.” Helen nodded towards the row of gas barbecues sizzling with a variety of meat and vegetarian options for the riders and their supporters. The red-and-white-chequered tables were lined with bowls, baskets, and platters of salads, fruit, cakes, breads, and drinks.
Aruishi wriggled in Lili’s arms. “Can I go and find Jess now? She must be hungry.”
“In a minute, sweetheart. Jess is busy.”
Aruishi struggled harder to escape from Lili’s grasp, and Scott reached out and lifted her from Lili’s arms. “Here, let me take her,” he said.
“Thanks, Dad.”
Lili glanced around and spotted Jess amongst the other riders. She’d removed her helmet and hair tie and loosened her braid. Her hair spread in glossy waves over her shoulders and moved subtly in the breeze. It shone rich and dark against her skin. Lili stared as Jess accepted a towel from Haley, used it to wipe her face, and patted down her shoulders, arms, and neck. Jess beamed at Haley as she passed her a bottle—probably some type of electrolyte replenishment. She guzzled the entire bright-yellow drink and put her hand to her mouth as Haley snatched the end of her towel and dabbed at Jess’s chin.
Jess seemed to be enjoying the attention. Maybe they have slept together. In that case, I’m definitely out of the picture. Damn, could Haley get any closer?
Scowling, Lili jumped when Usha pinched her lightly on the arm.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your thoughts, but I have another reason to be grateful to you,” Usha said.
Lili looked down as Usha stroked her forearm as though to soothe the small pain she’d inflicted. “The suppliers were more than happy to donate to Cara and her family.”
Usha shook her head. “And yes, for that I am very grateful.” She turned her gaze towards Jess. “But I want to thank you for letting Jess stay in your home, and for making her welcome.”
Lili watched Aruishi slide out of Scott’s arms, and as Jess crouched to greet her, she threw her arms around Jess’s neck and nearly toppled them both to the ground.
Haley quickly stepped out of the way. Aruishi had created a diversion. That’s my girl. “As you can see, Ru is already very fond of Jess,” Lili said.
“Yes. And Jess is very fond of her niece.” Usha tilted her head to Lili. “And you?”
There was no misunderstanding Usha’s meaning. Lili crossed her arms in front of her chest and met Us
ha’s gaze. There was no judgement, only genuine concern in her serious, dark eyes. “Jess will return to London soon,” Lili said resolutely.
“She would be much better staying here where she has family. That child has been on her own far too long. Now that I have reconnected with Jessica, I will be very sad to see her go.” Usha gave a resigned sigh.
“Ru will also be very sad when she leaves.” Lili stared at Usha. Had Jess ever thought about returning to live in Australia? “Do you think—”
An earnest-looking, large-framed man in a polo shirt approached Usha, waving a notebook in his hand. “Sorry, Doctor Joshi. Martin Dean, Bellarine Times. Are you free for our interview now?”
Usha winked at Lili and said, “We’ll talk later.” She gave a friendly smile to the reporter and followed him.
Lili stood rooted to the spot, still contemplating Usha’s wish for Jess to stay. When her daughter’s hand nestled into hers, she turned towards her and saw Aruishi’s other hand firmly attached to Jess’s palm. Her heart skipped a beat. Let’s face it. I’m going to miss this woman too.
“Mummy, I’m hungry. Can I have a sausage now? In bread with sauce, please?”
“Yes. Let’s go.” Lili blinked away her frustration and strode towards the food tables with Aruishi and Jess in tow.
Haley and Simon walked towards them, with Helen not far behind.
“Are you heading for the barbecue, Aruishi? I’m starving.” Haley looked directly at Jess. “Why don’t we all head for the food? Are you coming, Simon?”
Simon shook his head. “I promised the Russos I’d take Jess over to meet Cara.” He turned to Jess. “She’s in the marquee with her family, and they’re really looking forward to meeting you. Is it okay if we do that now?” He pulled down his aviator sunglasses.
“Let’s not disappoint them, then.” Jess flashed an apologetic smile at Haley. “Aruishi, would you like to come and meet a very special girl?” Jess smiled at her, then glanced across to Lili for approval.
